A Red Moon in The Night Sky
by Sailor Marrs
Summary: "Before she could begin to speak, his eyes turned from the beautiful night sky to crimson red, almost like blood." Sakura is a newly graduated Medical-Nin and she encounters the mysterious Itachi in the forest during a mission. Their lives are intertwined and are at the mercy of their fates.
1. Medical-Nin Graduate

_Hello everyone!_

 _This is my first story and I am a little bit nervous about uploading something so please be kind and support me through this story! I will do my very best to make this a great story for you all. Just quickly about my story; the title I chose for this story is related to Itachi Uchiha, specifically because his Sharingan is red but his eyes are actually dark. I thought it would be cool to kind of to relate him to the moon and sky, a little bit of symbolism if you will. Anyways, this story is, or well I want it to be, complicated as I want Sakura to be a character that grows and learns, who develops to a stronger and more rounded character by the end. Hope you guys enjoy this story! Sorry if the start is kind of boring._

 _All character rights are owned by Masashi Kishimoto._

 _Enjoy guys!_

 _\- Mars AK_

 _xox_

* * *

"Sakura Haruno".

This was the day Sakura Haruno, a student of the Medical Ninjutsu Academy, was graduating. Sakura couldn't believe it. She studied hard for 4 years and finally, the day had come, where she was graduating and taking on the title as a Medical Nin. When her name was called, she walked up the small stairs that led to the stage and looked straight. This was it. She did it and now she can finally hold the title she's wanted for so long. Sakura makes her way across the stage and she hears her parents cheering her on, rather loudly. She felt a little embarrassed but at the same time, she felt so proud. Her parents were very proud of her and so was her master, Lady Tsunade, who happened to be the one giving her the certificate. Sakura walked up to Lady Tsunade, beaming.

"Congratulations Sakura, you did well. You deserve this" as Lady Tsunade congratulated her, she gave Sakura a hug and handed her the certificate.  
"Thank you Lady Tsunade" she replied with a smile.

As Sakura got off the stage, Hinita was being called up. She was glad to be done and finally start working as a Shinobi. This was a new beginning for her, as it was for all of the Rookie 9. Everyone went their separate ways after they became Chunin but now everyone was specializing in either Medical Nin education and training or taking their Jounin level exams.

Sakura walked home silently as her parents chatted behind her. It wasn't that Sakura wasn't happy, no, she was thrilled. Rather, she thought of her time here in Konoha and the time she spent with her childhood friends. It was amazing but frightening to know that everyone was growing up so fast. As children, they were taught to hone their skills as Shinobi but none of them realized just how fast they were growing up. Now, after all these years, they are still very young but deadly. Sakura's excitement of becoming a full fledged, completely qualified Medical Nin died down a bit. _I wonder where the time went?_ She thought to herself, _how I would give anything to feel like a little girl again. To once again feel no burden, just for a moment._ Sakura sighed to herself. _Well_ , she thought _, I can't be a little girl forever._

At home, Sakura had an amazing meal her mother prepared for her as a graduation dinner. As the family ate together, Sakura's parents expressed how thrilled they were to have such a capable young daughter, who is not only an amazing student, but the prized student of Lady Tsunade herself. Sakura worked hard for this. She worked hard so she could be strong enough to fight along side her friends when the time came. She didn't want to rely on Naruto anymore and she decided a long time ago that she won't wait for Sasuke to come back, but rather, she will go and bring him back.

 _Sasuke.._ she thought. _I wonder where you are right now?_

The year Sasuke left was hard on Sakura. She was hopelessly in love with him and Sasuke leaving hit her hard. It made Sakura realize how vulnerable she made herself look in front of him, as if wanting him to one day save her, like a maiden in distress but not anymore. Sakura decided a long time ago that she won't be a maiden, she will be a shinobi. A shinobi the village of Konoha will be proud of and will value. From a hopeless young girl, Sakura became one of the most accomplished young Shinobi of the village.

The family finished eating and Sakura helped her mother with the dishes. Finally, it was time for bed and Sakura had an early morning tomorrow. She was accompanying the Jounin on a mission. Sakura wasn't yet a Jounin, she was perfectly qualified, but she waited until she felt that she was sure that she was ready. Lady Tsunade encouraged her to take the test but Sakura wanted to finish Medical Nin school before she could think about becoming a Jounin. And besides, she needed some practice fighting, she hadn't been on a mission in a year.

* * *

 _Well that concludes my very first chapter. Hope it was okay! I will try to update as much as I can, possibly once or twice a week._

 _Thank you for reading!_

 _xox_


	2. Silent Promise

Sakura woke up early the next day and got ready for her mission. She had to meet her squad in front of the Hokage's building so they can meet with the Hokage and quickly go over the details of this specific mission.

Sakura missed the feeling of going on missions. As she got out of bed and headed into the shower, she remembered the last time she went on a mission was with Naruto, Hinata and Kiba. The mission started off well but they hit trouble with one of the enemies, Kabuto. Sakura remembers Naruto and the rest fighting hard against Kabuto but she also remembers herself doubting her ability. She was well trained then and her ability to fight was fine. Her confidence, however, was lost. Thankfully, she didn't get in the way and everyone finished the mission without severe injuries.

It's happened sometimes where in the midst of battle, Sakura sometimes loses her confidence and her fear of letting her team down starts to emerge. It is one of the reasons why she doesn't feel ready to become a Jounin. Her ability allows her to but her lack of confidence in battle keeps her away. In her mind, if she stays away, she won't get in the way and if she doesn't get in the way, no one will die because of her.

It's happened once on a mission with a new squad when she was younger. Someone died because of her. Sakura still never forgives herself for it. She was young and she wasn't ready but she thought she was. This is why she struggles with fighting on her own and has no faith in her ability.

The incident happened so quick. One mistake on her part cost the life of a comrade who tried to protect her after the stupid mistake she made. She remembers seeing his body pierced with kunai and drop in front of her eyes and she could do nothing about it. The helplessness she felt and the loss of a comrade caused her anxiety. Eventually, after a few months and a lot of convincing on Lady Tsunade's part, Sakura decided to become a medical nin. She often thinks of her dying comrade and blames herself for his death but if she knew medical ninjutsu, she could have at least saved him. After that, her missions were easier and less frequent. When she was in medical nin school, the missions stopped entirely. This was her first mission in a while and it made her nervous.

 _Kami, please protect us_ , she prayed, _please let us be successful and please let everyone come back alive._

Sakura got out of the shower, brushed her teeth and started to get ready. She packed all her essential needs and went into the closet. She opened up a safe she had in the corner that had all of her weapons stored inside. She took them out and smiled as she looked at them. Her mother had gotten them sharpened for her, she could tell by the edges of the kunai and shuriken. She picked up her weapons and stored them throughout her green flak jacket, the pockets on the side of her pants and inside her bag. She grabbed her Konoha head protector and tied it as a head band. Sakura headed downstairs and opened up the pantry. She picked out the nutrition balls she made last night and packed them along with the rest of her stuff. She headed down the hall and opened up the closet and found her white cloak. She put on her entire uniform with her shoes and quietly walked outside. It was the early hours of the morning and her parents were asleep.

* * *

Sakura found her way around the village and to the Hokage's building. By the front gates, she found her teammates waiting for her. She was the only Chunin with 3 Jounin. Shikamaru was the captain of the squad and the rest of the squad consisted of Choji, Hinata and herself.

"Hi Sakura!", Hinata called out to her.

"Hey Hinata, good morning guys", she replied.

"Right on time Sakura. Now let's head to the Hokage's office". Shikamaru sounded tired and not very excited for this mission.

The group quietly made their way into the Hokage's office and found the Hokage, Lady Tsunade, sleeping on her desk.

Sakura giggled to herself while Shikamaru sighed. He probably wanted to sleep right now as well.

"Lady Tsunade", Shizune called out and quickly ran over to the older woman, trying to shake her awake. "The squad for the mission this morning is here for a briefing.

"Uh…huh? Shizune?" murmured Lady Tsunade before looking straight ahead to the four shinobi standing in front of her. "Oh.. sorry about that. Well then, the mission. I want the four of you to travel towards the land of Lightening but be careful not to pass into the land. You need permission to cross the border and the whole purpose of this mission is to not go to the land of Lightening, but rather, watch the your side of the border. We've gathered information on the Akatsuki, they should be in the area between the Land of Lightening and the Land of Forest. If you do encounter the Akatsuki head on, be careful. This is a mission to gather more information on them and who they might be working with. If trouble arises, send word and I will send reinforcements".

"Yes, Lady Tsunade, we understand", Shikamaru replied, "we'll head out now but please send word to the Raikage that we are around the area".

"I will let him know of that", Lady Tsunade reassured.

* * *

The squad headed out towards the Land of Lightening in full speed. They had 5 days to finish the mission, or rather, gather as much information as they could on the Akatsuki. Sakura was feeling a little nervous. Her anxiety was at bay but she was beginning to feel afraid that something might go wrong. The Akatsuki is known as one of the strongest and most dangerous criminal organizations in the shinobi world, so they had to be very careful. _I can't mess up this time. I can't let my squad pull my weight while I'm busy being afraid._ Sakura was determined to prove herself that she was good enough to become a shinobi. Mistakes happen and her mistake was a mistake made as a child still learning the ways of the shinobi. She won't let her team down, she'll fight until the end if she had to. She won't let them die for her sake and that was a promise she silently made to them, as well as to herself.

* * *

 _Hope you guys liked this chapter! I know it's kind of a slow start but it will eventually start to pick up!_

 _Thanks for reading!_

 _\- Marrs AK_

 _xox_


	3. Shadows and Crows

Sakura and her squad headed out towards the border. Shikamaru expected them to come close to the border in 13 hours so they decided to travel straight without any breaks. Shikamaru led the front with Hinata as Choji and Sakura came up from behind.

The journey was long and none of them really spoke to each other, they were in dangerous territory and they had to stay alert. Attracting attention was one of their worries and they only talked when Shikamaru told them different formations or battle tactics if they encountered the enemy.

Sakura started to feel a little nervous as they came closer to the border. They've been traveling for 10 hours now, the sun was setting and they were still making their way through the Land of Forest. Would she be able to handle it? Can she protect her team? It frightened her but it also made her more determined to conquer her fears. She was lost in thought when Shikamaru suddenly jumped down to the ground.

"Stop!" Shikamaru shouted. That startled Sakura. _What happened?_

"They found us…" Shikamaru looked towards the trees to their left. It was evening time and the sun was setting, so it was difficult to make out the figures in the shadows of the trees. Sakura looked towards the direction in shock. _I didn't even notice…_ she realized.

Hinata and Choji were already in battle formation on each side of Shikamaru, covering his blind spots. Sakura was the only one who wasn't ready. She shook her head and fell into position with the rest of the squad. _I need to focus. Come on Sakura, you can't mess up now,_ she told herself.

"There are two of them", Hinata analyzed with her Byakugan. "They both have a lot of chakra. One is tall and the other one is shorter. We need to pay attention to the shorter one. His chakra flow is dark".

Sakura sensed out their chakra for herself. Hinata was right. They both possessed enormous amounts of chakra but the smaller of the two had more and it felt dangerous.

Before any of them could notice, there was a flock of ravens and right between their formation the smaller shinobi stood. The squad moved a foot back and were ready to attack. His face was covered with a hood and the cloak he wore was black with red clouds. _Akatsuki!_ Sakura realized. She concentrated her chakra into her fist and punched the shinobi but as soon as she made contact, he turned into crows. Sakura looked around and noticed the larger figure coming up behind them for an attack. Sakura figured it out, _The crows were just a distraction!_

"Watch your back guys. He was just a distraction!" Sakura warned.

As the larger figure came close to them, there were shadow clones of the smaller figure all around. He was trying to divert their attention.

She threw shuriken at the clones and began to fight close range with chakra infused Taijutsu and Hinata was fighting at close range with her gentle fist with his other two clones. Choji and Shikamaru were fighting the larger of the two with long range and close range attacks. Choji tried to get as many hits as he could, trying to avoid the shinobi's odd looking sword while Shikamaru struggled with his shadow jutsu in the dark.

Sakura had to find the original of the clones. If she engages him, then Hinata can help the other two. Sakura knew this was dangerous but she had to help. She tried to sense him out as much as she could. Battling a strong clone and detecting chakra was hard, she couldn't lose focus or she'd die.

Just then she felt it. _There! That chakra is his. I felt it just for a moment._ Sakura put all of her chakra into a strong punch and aimed it towards the clone. Luckily, it hit and the clone turned to crows. She didn't wait around for another clone to form. She ran towards the forest in the direction she felt the flicker of chakra.

"Sakura, no! What do you think you're doing, dammit? Don't go after him!" _Crap,_ she thought, _Shikamaru noticed._

She clenched her teeth and went on. She had to.

"Shit", she heard him curse in anger.

 _I'm sorry guys._

* * *

 _This chapter is a little bit shorter. I tried my best to write a battle scene, hope I did alright!_

 _Thank you for reading,_

 _\- Marrs AK_

 _xox_


	4. Enchanted

The forest was dense and dark with very little moonlight. She tried to find her way but she stopped in her tracks as a kunai she didn't see scratched the side of her face. _He knows where I am. Well if he knows, I might as well go straight for him and get pay back for scratching my cheek._

As she made her way towards him, more kunai flew towards her but she was prepared this time. She threw her kunai in the direction his attack came from and continued forward.

It turned into a game of cat and mouse, only she was the mouse when she thought she was the cat. He knows where she is but she has no idea where he is hiding.

"Damn you", she cursed under her breath. Sakura got close enough a few times but he always got away. She was just wasting her weapons on him. It was obvious he was toying with her.

A kunai flew at her and Sakura knocked it away with the one in her hand. She then ran towards him at full speed ad slashed at him. She smirked. She cut his arm and that's the closest she got. _At least I got you back bastard_ , she thought to herself with a hint of pride.

He hid again and Sakura's senses were at a new high. She forgot her fears and her only thought was getting to him so her friends could fight easily. Her will power was fueled by her adrenaline and her need to protect her friends. She tried to focus and find him.

 _Right there!_ Sakura rushed forward into the darkness where he hid.

Pulled up against a tree, with her kunai at his throat, was a young man. Possibly around the age of 22. Sakura had a hard look on her face and her eyes burned with fire.

He took in a deep breath and Sakura suddenly held her breath. She finally took in his form. His hood wasn't covering his face anymore and he was beautiful. In the moonlight, his pale skin looked like milk and his hair was long and black as ebony. His face was perfection with a chiseled jaw line, with lips that were turned up in a taunting smirk, eyes, that were almost covered with his ebony hair, were as dark as the night itself but deep enough to trap your soul. Sakura was enchanted and her voice was lost somewhere inside her.

 _"_ Amusing", he spoke with a slight hint of sarcasm. She didn't realize how close his face was. His voice was deep but velvety smooth and Sakura was dazed. _Who is he?_ She thought to herself. _Who is this guy?_

He looked straight into her eyes and because it was dark, Sakura couldn't tell if they were black or if they were a deep blue, almost like the night sky. His face was inches away from hers but she couldn't move back. She couldn't even take her eyes away from his. There was just something about them, they were so capturing and they held on to her soul.

"Cherry Blossom", he whispered with his velvety smooth voice but this time it wasn't sarcastic or taunting. Sakura couldn't say anything in return, she just stared at him like a deer in headlights.

He moved closer and his face was right beside hers, the complete force of her Kunai against his throat was lost. "I'll see you again", he whispered into her ear and then his face was right in front of hers again, just inches away.

 _What is he?_ She thought to herself. Before she could begin to speak, his eyes turned from the beautiful night sky to crimson red, almost like blood. Sakura was shocked but she couldn't look away. This time, it wasn't because she was captivated by him but because those eyes held on to her and wouldn't let her go. _Mangekyo Sharingan_ , she realized, _those eyes are the mangekyo sharingan_. She started to panic and before she could realize what was happening, she started to drift off into darkness.

 _"_ Cherry Blossom" was the last thing she heard before collapsing.

* * *

"Ugh, my head…" Sakura felt groggy and her head was pounding. _What just happened to me?_ She recalled only up until the shinobi's eyes turned red and after that it was nothing. She abruptly got up and clenched her aching head.

"You're lucky you're alive, you know?" Shikamaru said calmly but she knew he was furious.

She realized she was in an opening in the forest with a fire lit and not in the dense forest where she was clearly put under genjutsu.

"How did I get here?" she asked looking around. _Why didn't he just kill me?_

"Hinata sensed your chakra disappear for a moment. As soon as that happened, the one we were fighting retreated. We tried looking for you and found your two hours later with your chakra almost gone", Shikamaru explained. "Don't do anything reckless next time. You knew we had to stick together. You shouldn't have gone off on your own". He was angry and Sakura felt guilty but she had to or they all would have died.

"I know, Shikamaru but I had to help you guys," she defended, "I couldn't let you guys die like that".

Shikamaru sighed. Sakura knew he was mad but she did it for a reason. She wasn't just going to let her team die, she won't make that mistake again.

"Don't worry Sakura", Hinata reassured, "just rest now and build up your strength for the morning. We're headed to see the Raikage and then back to the Leaf. Shikamaru sent a messenger bird to Lady Tsunade so she can get us permission".

"Right", Choji added, "we need to explain our situation to the Raikage since it was close to his border".

"Alright you guys, now go to sleep", Shikamaru ordered.

Sakura laid down again. They probably had three hours to sleep before they had to get up again and Sakura was feeling weak.

* * *

As Sakura was laying down, she recalled the fight in the forest and she remembered his face. He was so beautiful, it made Sakura blush. _Blush? Why am I blushing?_ She felt embarrassed now for being so captivated by an enemy. But there was just something about him that Sakura couldn't help but be drawn to.

And his sharingan. That was what frightened her about him and not just his sharingan, but the mangekyo. She heard of its power and it makes her cringe. _Why didn't he kill me though?_ She wondered, _he had every chance to kill me. He is an elite shinobi with that kind of powerful dojutsu and skill._

She thought about that all night. He called her Cherry Blossom, he toyed with her, and now that she thinks about it, he went easy on her. _There is no way I could have gotten my kunai up against his throat that easily,_ she realized. And why did he call her Cherry Blossom? Was this some sort of cheap way to mess with her head so she loses her focus? And that too with his beautiful looks? This irritated Sakura. She couldn't believe she fell for his so called charm. She clearly lost focus since she couldn't slit his throat when she had the chance.

Her goal for the night was trying to figure out who this mysterious enemy shinobi was. They didn't have much information on the Akatasuki or their abilities but they did have some of their faces and their names in the Bingo Book. _The Bingo Book!_

Sakura got up from her sleeping bag and opened Shikamaru's bag, only Jounin were given one from the Hokage and she was still a Chunin. She looked over and found him sleeping. Sakura turned her attention to his bag and finding the book. Once she found it, she sat beside the fire and flipped through the members of the Akatsuki.

 _Leader of the Akatsuki_ , she read, _unknown village_. "It doesn't even have his picture" Sakura mumbled to herself.

She flipped through the next page. "Hidan, village unknown. And this too with no picture".

Next page. "Deidara, from the Hidden Stone village, at least there is a picture of him".

Next page. "Kisame Hoshigaki, from the Hidden Mist village and a member of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. He is the only one with this much information and it's not even enough," she muttered to herself.

She flipped to the next page. "Itachi Uchiha from the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Former ANBU Black Ops Captain. Listed as an international criminal after slaughtering his entire clan. Possesses the sharingan of the Uchiha clan", she read to herself. _Oh my gosh!_ She was shocked. The long ebony hair, those eyes as dark as the night sky and the chiseled jaw line and beautiful face. _That's him!_ She was sure of it. _There is no mistaking those features, especially those eyes. But if he is an Uchiha, then he is probably the only surviving Uchiha besides Sasuke. He had to be Sasuke's brother._ Sakura was in disbelief, _he looks just like him._

* * *

 _I put up two chapters in a row because I hadn't post anything for a whole week. Hope this chapter is better and I hope the story is getting better!_

 _Thank you for reading! Until next time._

 _\- Marrs AK_

 _xox_


	5. Killer

Sakura was in disbelief. _That's him… the brother Sasuke has always wanted to kill._ She sat there a long time thinking about her encounter with the older Uchiha. She should have been injured or worse. In fact, why didn't they both, Itachi and his partner, kill the whole squad? They were perfectly capable of doing so but for some reason, they seemed as if they were just toying with them or they were trying to look for someone.

 _Maybe they were after Naruto?_ She considered this possibility. They could be looking for Naruto since they did have an encounter with him and Master Jiraya a few years ago but that was when the Akastuki wasn't known. They also didn't pose much of a threat to the great nations but now it seems they have become dangerous.

Sakura worried for Naruto, especially after his return with Master Jiraya. She feels guilty for binding Naruto with the promise to bring Sasuke back. It was Sakura's stupidity and childishness that caused Naruto more pain than he already had to deal with. She lost her childhood crush when Sasuke left. However, Naruto lost his brother when Sasuke left. Sasuke was the closest thing to a family Naruto has ever had and the rivalry between them only strengthened their relationship. They were best friends and Sakura knows how important Sasuke was to Naruto but she still went on and burdened Naruto with her feelings, almost as if to blame him for Sasuke leaving. To add to her burdensome request, Naruto had to fight the Akatsuki. Now she felt this need to protect Naruto and she will. She will protect him from blaming himself if Sasuke doesn't come back and she will protect him from the Akatsuki.

Slowly but surely, Sakura fell asleep after her mind finally let go of her jumbled up thoughts.

* * *

Jade coloured eyes stared back at him with that intense look behind them. Then the look of shock and eventually fear. _Fear._ Did he want to instil fear in her? However, the fear in her eyes made him feel slightly uneasy.

It was unusual for Itachi Uchiha to feel uneasy let alone anything at all. He was a mysterious man with many secrets but no emotions, no feelings and no fears. Though for some reason, this unknown, young kinochi stirred up something that he buried within himself years ago. Itachi didn't like that. He hated this feeling, as small as it was. It made him feel vulnerable and that was the last thing he wanted. _I presume this may be the only time I will come across that young woman,_ he mused, _or perhaps I will encounter her again?_ He sort of wanted to see her again and for some reason, he wanted to see the fear in her eyes again. He wanted to feel invincible like how he feels with every opponent. He supposed this was his way of dealing with his suppressed emotions. He wanted to erase that feeling by instilling fear and enjoying it. Itachi did not like confrontation but he did not hate it either. He was a complicated man.

Within the Akastuki, he was well known and well feared. He had people who detested him but they could not do anything out of fear. Leader was presumably the only one who did not fear Itachi and was also among the few in the organization who respected him. Itachi responded to respect with respect and insolence with power.

He never lashed out and he never lost control of his emotions but he does start to crave blood. He was never like this but ever since that night, out of anger and hate, he changed. He was not compassionate as he used to be. He became cold, distant, unemotional and sometimes even blood thirsty but he never showed it.

Itachi has learned that some circumstances in life can take an individual's identity away completely. The blood on his hands of innocent people drove him mad and it made him indifferent to the people he has killed since then. Nothing can ever beat the fact that he killed young children and then murdered his parents. Nothing. The blood of others never stained his hands as red as the blood of his clan did. He murdered his identity when he murdered his clan. He wasn't Itachi Uchiha of the Leaf anymore. He was a rouge Ninja, an S-class criminal associated with a dangerous criminal organization. That was his new identity, a killer.

He shook his head. Why was he even thinking about that night? He hasn't thought about it in years and it was unusual for him to ponder on his lost identity. A shinobi changes with the circumstances of their lives, a shinobi endures. He determined that a long time ago. So why is he thinking of this now? It was the woman. Why did she make him reflect on his life like this? Why did she even hold a thread of importance to him when he didn't even know her? He sensed something pure within her but he also sensed fire. He concluded that he was simply amused by her and nothing more.

 _I will probably never see her again_ , he thought once more.

* * *

 _My apologies readers! I was caught up with exams and never got the chance to update until now. I'll try to post more often!_

 _Thank you for reading!_ _Until next time._

 _\- Marrs AK_

 _xox_


	6. Jade

Itachi fell asleep quickly after his battle with the leaf shinobi. He laid down on the cold ground, trying to ignore the thought of the young kinochi and drifted off to sleep. Itachi had a long journey back to the hide out so it would be best if he got his rest now.

* * *

He sees a village coming up ahead as he runs through the forest. The forest was still wet from the rain that stopped falling a few hours ago. He had an odd feeling in his chest that made him feel excited. He enjoyed this exhilarating feeling, it made him feel invincible. He was excited to test his limit but he was also excited to kill. Itachi never was the type to kill needlessly but he has changed since then. Life has changed him and the thing he once hated is now the thing he loves. Itachi quickened his pace and made his way towards the village much faster than before, excited for what he might face when he reaches his destination.

He stopped right at the boarder of the village and forest, his Akastuki cloak flying behind him because of his rushed speed and sudden stop. Itachi scanned the area and sensed no threatening chakra, which disappointed him. Something caught his eye and he saw a young shinobi practicing a few meters away from him, completely oblivious to his arrival. He smirked at the young shinobi's innocence. He could tell this shinobi is most likely a genin who probably did not learn how to sense chakra yet. Itachi slowly walked towards him, his chakra on full blast. The young shinobi still did not realize there was someone approaching him and continued practicing throwing his shuriken at a wooden log a few feet away from him. Anyone else who had any basic training in sensing chakra would have fled as soon as Itachi approached the village. Itachi sped up quickly in front of the young shinobi and caught his shuriken in his hand. The boys eyes widened in surprise and then terror as he saw the menacing glare on Itachi's face. The shinobi stepped back and tried to quickly run but Itachi was much faster. He approached the boy in seconds and took out his kunai. He smirked at the young boy and then proceeded to slit his throat. Painless, clean, and easy. However, this boys life was not enough, Itachi wanted more. He ran towards the village in full speed with his sharingan activated so he can locate each and every villager.

He went on a rampage, releasing his fireball jutsu towards houses, setting them ablaze. He left no villager alive, slaughtering every woman, child and elder he passed. The only shinobi in the village were at chunin level at best but Itachi was once an ANBU Captain and now he is an S-Class criminal. There was no shinobi who could try to stop him, Itachi Uchiha was out of control.

The only thought he kept thinking was that they made him like this. They. The villagers, the great nations and all the shinobi in this world. He was going to annihilate everyone, just as everyone in his clan was annihilated. They all made him into a monster and now they will endure the consequences.

Itachi came across a small house and slammed the door open. He sensed three chakras inside, one of an adult and two of small children. Itachi stepped inside and made his way to where he sensed the chakra. He approached an older man hiding two children behind him inside of a small closet. The older man quickly stood up and attacked Itachi, a desperate attempt at trying to defeat him. The old man was quicker than the rest to defend himself from Itachi. Itachi brought up his kunai against the man and pushed him back against the wall of the closet. The man stood up and the encounter lasted a few more seconds until the old man fell down without his kunai, disarmed by Itachi.

"Stupid old man. Do you think you are so brave that you can stop death as it approaches you?", Itachi mocked. He was angry now. How dare this man try to defend himself?

"Please, you mustn't do this. There are children in this village. There are children here who are innocent", the old man pleaded. Itachi grew irritated. Children? His eyes stared straight at the man.

"Children you say? What about shinobi children who are forced into a world of war before they even begin to understand who they are? What about those who want to change the world but are turned into monsters by the very world they want to better? What about children like me who grow up and turn into criminals because of this cursed world?" Itachi spit back.

Before the man could plead anymore, Itachi cut him down in a single blow. He saw the two children still sitting in the closet, cowering away from him. The older boy was holding on to his little sister trying to protect her from Itachi's wrath. Itachi approached the children and kneeled down to their level.

"Why must you live when they all had to died?", he questioned the children, not expecting a response. He was not referring to the village, he was referring to the children of his own clan he killed many years ago. He sighed. He decided to end it quickly, sparing them any more torment.

Itachi continued his rampage. He was angry and his deepest emotions were seeping out. He wanted revenge and everyone had to pay for his suffering. When he finally eliminated the village and set it all ablaze, Itachi started to walk towards the forest from which he emerged.

As Itachi treaded forward, a fog began to form the closer he got to the forest. He continued to walk forward until he came to a clearing where the fog was much less dense. Itachi stopped.

There in the middle of the clearing was a slender and small figure. The figure wore a long white silk dress that went past the knees. Her slim shoulders were showing. She had long pink hair that cascaded down her back, blowing in the slight wind. The setting sun that could be seen behind the trees lightened her figure, making her glow in gold. Itachi began to slowly approach her, his kunai ready and his sharingan blazing. As he inched closer to the figure, she turned around. Itachi froze for a second but hid his surprise well. He narrowed his eyes at her. What is she doing here? He thought. She stared at him with her jade eyes. She looked straight at him but said nothing, it was as if she was watching him. No, not watching. She was trying to read him. Was he hallucinating? Is this really the cherry blossom he just encountered? What was going on?

"Who are you?" he demanded. She did not reply back. She kept looking at him with soulful eyes. She looked saddened and worried but continued to keep silent.

Itachi became irritated and took large steps towards her, "I will not repeat myself again. You will answer me now". Once again, she did not answer and continued to look at him.

He stopped a few feet away from her and could not help but notice her beauty and the way the setting sun made her look like a goddess that nature dressed in gold with it's light. But he continued to stare back at her, sharingan activated and ready to pick out any surprise moves. Her face was beautiful and her eyes were full of emotions that Itachi was not used to seeing. Beneath his false show of power, he became uncomfortable at the display of emotions. His eyes narrowed when she took a step forward. He stood there, tall and fearsome, yet she continued to move towards him, step by step, without the slightest hint of fear in her eyes. Her hair blew in the wind and he noticed her cheeks were rosy as she came to stand in front of him. He said nothing.

"This is not you", she whispered.

"And you presume to know me?" he snapped back.

She took another step forward and reached out towards him. Itachi did not flinch and he did not move. He glared at her until her hand almost touched his face. He grabbed her wrist but gently. For some reason, he was afraid to break her.

"Who are you?" he asked once more.

She looked up at him. Her eyes were the most beautiful jade and he looked back at them, jade meeting crimson blood. She took another step forward and brought up her other hand to place on his cheek. He still held on to her wrist and let her place her free hand on his face. Her touch was warm and it made Itachi feel almost peaceful. She took another step forward, still keeping her hand on his face.

"Itachi…" she whispered.

This time he took a step towards her, holding her gaze, his face inches away from hers.

The expression on her face changed. She had a look of yearning in her eyes.

"This is not you Itachi…".

"Then who am I?" He whispered back at her. He looked down at her small figure, his face slowly moving closer.

* * *

 _Hello everyone! Thank you for reading!_

 _I wanted to apologize for the really long delay, it has been months since the last time I posted a chapter. I was really busy with school, my last semester was really important so I had to completely focus. When I finished and graduated, I kind of had writers block but now I am back at it! I have some things planned for the story so I hope you all stick around._

 _I will try to post once a week but forgive me if I fall behind. Also, please remember to review! I would really like some feedback on what you guys think of the story._

 _P.S. Sorry for the dark nature of the chapter. It is a little cruel o_O._

 _Until next time,_

 _\- Marrs AK xoxo_


End file.
